Ford’s electric offensive

Ford has embarked on an 'aggressive new electric vehicle plan' aimed at bringing a new range of pure battery, plug-in hybrids and pure hybrids to market over the next four years.

First to show, in 2010, will be a new battery-powered commercial vehicle, possibly based on the European-designed Transit Connect van, which is currently being launched in the US. That will be followed in 2011 by a battery small car jointly engineered with the giant automotive supply company Magna International.

A generation of larger hybrids, including an all-new plug-in model, will follow in 2012.

The new wave of electric Fords will be launched first in the US, but should soon spread to global markets. Ford president and CEO Alan Mulally described the project as “the next phase in our commitment to make fuel efficiency solutions affordable for millions of customers”.

Mulally insisted that the current low fuel price is temporary, and that they will soon rise sufficiently to make highly fuel efficient cars as relevant to average motorists as they were six months ago, when oil prices reached record highs.